Had my car about a month now. If I am totally honest, I feel the 2005 1.9 Audi A4 S-line (with 84000 miles on the clock) that I traded in was a much better car.

1. The build quality just isn't the same as the Audi. And the Audi was nearly 8 years old.

2. My VRS doesn't seem to like acceleration from start. It's not a pleasant sensation at all if I try and get away quickly, so now I don't bother.

3. The fuel economy is crap. Unless I drive in total economy style, and even then I am only getting about 45 mpg.

4. What's with the bobbled/rough surface along the lower sides of the car? It's a knightmare to clean.

5. My reversing sensors had to be fixed last week as they were already faulting.

6. The front seats are giving me terrible lower back pain.

7. The socket to connect an iPod is in a stupid place (on the face of the unit) leaving the trailing wire in the way.

8. Hate not being able to change tracks on a cd from the steering wheel, instead having to reach across to the unit.

9. The headlights are terrible.

10. The handling of mine doesn't seem to match the glowing reports of others.

11. Mine gets full of condensation on a cold evening stood.

12. Need to get that whistle noise at higher speeds sorted now as well.

I feel like my Blackline will be ready to go after the 3 years pcp plan is up.

Edited 6 November, 201213 yr by Thehulkster

The bobbled surface along the lower edge of the car is stonechip. Protects the car from damage.

Get the Bluetooth activated then stream music to the head unit, plus you get full phone integration to.

Handling should be good, have you checked tyre pressures?

As for fit and finsh not being comparable to an Audi, it isn't an Audi premium brand product.

Maybe you should have bought another Audi?

I only managed 37mpg from my old CR and acceleration from a standing start wasn't great either. Handling and ride isn't great on the standard set up which is why many go for aftermarket springs and dampers; I had eibach pros and koni fsds on my old tsi. Regarding headlights I replaced the standard bulbs for Phillips Extreme ones which are much better. On the subject of build quality I was always fairly impressed with mine; not far short of my Golf.

I have put night breakers in my Blackline (took them out of my old VRs), my FC is around 45ish around town and on a motorway run 55ish (same as my old one). The FC gets better over time. I actually think the leather seats are more comfortable compared to the standard VRs seats. My handling is OK and I a running at 34PSI (always have done). I have fitted MDI so have full control of the IPOD.

With the AC on the car soon demists.

Not really noticed any issues when booted, always wait for it to get to normal operating temp before doing so.

I don't have the whistle (not that I can hear anyway).

I guess 5 years of having a diesel VRs (3 non FL and 2 FL) I am used to it.

Maybe you should have gone for a 62 plate 2.7 V6 tdi A4 then?

I' ve upgated from a 56 Focus zetec 1.6 petrol auto and love my VRS to bits.

Maybe you should have bought another Audi?

Maybe I should. But the sensible option was the Skoda looking at the price and specs.

At the end of the day the Octavia has gotten rave reviews everywhere, and I bought into that hence me getting mine.

I feel sort of conned really.

Listen guys. My Blackline isn't going anywhere for the next 3 years. I will learn to love it hopefully.

I'm not bashing the badge. I'm just being honest.

Maybe I should. But the sensible option was the Skoda looking at the price and specs.

You get what you pay for at the end of the day. Nothing is free in life.

The less money you paid accounts for the less desirable brand and lower grade materials in the cabin.

The condensation issue on the Octavia is well documented on here, as is the additional benefit of xenon headlights (although not available on the Blackline). Saying that I've never heard anyone complain about the standard halogen projectors.

Fuel economy should improve as the engine loosens up, it is only 4 weeks old after all. Remember to calculate your consumption manually so that you can check the accuracy of the onboard computer.

Performance may well increase too as the engine is run in.

Agreed, the lack of stereo controls on the steering wheel is stupid, you can't even spec these as a cost option, only the DSG equipped vRS gets them. This is Skoda UK's fault though as it is them that set the specs for this country.

The MkII Octavia is an old car now, protection against corrosion has moved on but you'll still see the old style bobbled covering on the sills of the Octavia. Another wipe with the sponge normally gets it clean for me, however removing white polish out of the holes and stone chips on a race blue vRS can be a bit of a pain!

All in all once you've sorted the whistle (again well documented on here and will likely be traced back to the seal around the rear door quarter light) then the other issues will soon be forgotten!

I understand where your coming from pal. I too just bought a blackline. Luckily though i have already owned a few VRS and an audi A4 and a VW Gold Cabriolet so have a good point of reference.

Build quality i would say is on par with VW and not much shy of audi.

I will be honest the initial pick up of the car from standstill is quite poor although im running mine in so not goint to give it full beans just yet.

Im comprairing this to my petrol VRS though which picks up very well. Once going though she excellerates with ease through the gears (manual).

and although no thump in the back gives you the pulling sensation associated with a sportier car.

Having gone from 26mpg avg. in my petrol vrs im now getting about 45mpg avg. so id say fuel economy is awesome. especially considering the

weather its freezing so id say ill be getting 50mpg avg. after winter.

Once you get your head around the pitted surface of the protective layer along the sills you will be glad of it in a few years time my 55 plate

VRS still looks like new underneath when you get it up on the ramp. The front wheel 200bhp is a recipe for loose stones being thrown up and

if it was just bare paint i think it would be all rusty by now. I use autoglym tar spot remover once in a while brings it up like new.

Seats and Lights are fine on mine

Handling is slightly worse than my petrol vrs but i put this down to the 18" alloys having lower profile stiffer tyres than the 17"s on the

petrol. They look nicer though ;-). Generally handling is pretty sharp for what is a very big car.

Can't really comment on the other stuff as i haven't tried it.

Hope that helps

scribbler.

honesty is the best policy so they say!

Not that it helps you but I've so far enjoy the first 600 miles in my car.

Its returning a decent MPG for me (1st week was all motorway, last week was mainly town driving as i was off work)

I do have a clunky clutch pedal which isnt bothering me enough to fix just yet. I havent had any condensation inside the car (well nothing except for a normal misted up windscreen which clears pretty quickly as soon as i turn the CC on.

It seems pokey enough however most of my foot down action is on the motorway when overtaking. I do agree first gear is a little short though.

No volume button on the steering wheel isnt really a fault though as i guess you knew you would have to use the one on the stereo when you ordered it. Its a bit like buying a car without a sunroof then complaining there isnt a sunroof

Im reserving judgement on the handling. These tyres arent generally working at their optimum in the current climate so its a little unfair to diss them just yet.

Headlights arent great but ill get round to swapping them out soon enough for something brighter

Dont have the Ipod cable problem as put my songs on the SD card until i get round to enabling bluetooth

No rattles or whistles just yet (midas touch, right there!)

Im enjoying skoda ownership so far. Oh heated seats would have been a bonus!

The condensation issue could be attributable to these cars standing out in the cold for periods of time prior to delivery so the interior becomes damp. If you keep it garaged then it should dry out and hopefully condensation will become less of an issue.

A B6 Audi is built better then most new cars on the road today including the new A4 B8. I've had both and the B6 2005 is built better hands down.

I have to say I've had Audi, BMW and Merc (new ones) over the last few years and the Octy on the whole is pretty well built. Easily as good as VW and better then SEAT.

I've just come out of a 85k miled A4 170 Tdi Sline. My DSG Blackline is easily quicker and much more refined. The handling will improve with a few more miles and the engine needs at least 5k.

I've got condensation on mine to but as the last poster said, these cars have been sitting around. Daily use will 'dry' them up.

Why did you buy a car with 1/4 price of Audi when you anted an Audi?

Anyway - most of your niggles seem to do with the fact that you didin't buy the best Škoda, only a "currently on the offer" one. Xenons, DSG (mf steeringwheel, brilliant piece of kit) are missing. Hence bad acceleraton and MGP (both I guess come down to your driving style).

About the condensate - I have no issues so far. Living in a cold climate. You could try a trick - after you come from a trip open the doors for a while so that the hot air inside the cabin gets out, if there are not so big temperature differences with outside and in, the condensation issue should go away. Might be worth a shot if it really bothers you.

A B6 Audi is built better then most new cars on the road today including the new A4 B8. I've had both and the B6 2005 is built better hands down.

I have to say I've had Audi, BMW and Merc (new ones) over the last few years and the Octy on the whole is pretty well built. Easily as good as VW and better then SEAT.

I've just come out of a 85k miled A4 170 Tdi Sline. My DSG Blackline is easily quicker and much more refined. The handling will improve with a few more miles and the engine needs at least 5k.

How will the handling improve with more miles?

How will the handling improve with more miles?

Tyres and suspension wear in

You didn't know?

Anyway - most of your niggles seem to do with the fact that you didin't buy the best Škoda, only a "currently on the offer" one. Xenons, DSG (mf steeringwheel, brilliant piece of kit) are missing.

Exactly what I thought when I read this. Wouldn't have touched a blackline with a bargepole, especially over a standard vrs, bearing in mind the lack of options available. Not sure what the price difference between the two were, but it must have been a hell of difference to make it worthwhile?

Not being funny, but how did you end up buying a car without test driving it beforehand to find out what it's performance is like?! I had a whirl in a both a vrs and a sport and could differentiate the difference in performance straight away by driving it in different ways on different types of roads, and although I liked the extra power, it wasn't enough to make up for the extra options available on the L&K nor the tight seats on the vrs which hugged too much for me.

Probably wrong, but it sounds like you just looked in the brochure and pointed at the one you wanted? :S

FWIW, you might want to check the supplying garage have taken out the suspension transport chocks.

Wouldn't have touched a blackline with a bargepole, especially over a standard vrs, bearing in mind the lack of options available. Not sure what the price difference between the two were, but it must have been a hell of difference to make it worthwhile?

interesting sweeping statement

i looked at a used white vrs diesel for 17 grand. Paid 18 grand for a new one with leather, parking sensors and DAB. I was in the market anyway so it was a no brainer for me.

Im not sure why you would buy a standard one when you can get one with those extras for nothing?

It depends if your gripe is with the handling being too soft or too stiff. My blackline is a little stiffer at the minute than my petrol Vrs i put this down to the Tyres being lower profile and their far stiffer sidewalls. The springs dampers also have a memory and as they haven't been under any load they will be stiffer and get softer over time its quite a steep curve until you reach an equilibrium flatline where performance is constant. If you dont think the ride is stiff enough then i have bad news its only going to get a bit softer as it beds in. Mine should be perfect in a few months i like the balance of the vrs but nothing compares to my old cliosport or williams for going round corners but then build quality is shocking on a renault.

interesting sweeping statement

i looked at a used white vrs diesel for 17 grand. Paid 18 grand for a new one with leather, parking sensors and DAB. I was in the market anyway so it was a no brainer for me.

Im not sure why you would buy a standard one when you can get one with those extras for nothing?

Same here, i was buying a white 2010 VRS Diesel with a fair few thousand miles for about £16k when i decide why not pay £18k for a brand new blackline with full leather and all the extras. to spec up a standard vrs to the same spec (which you can't exactly) it would cost way more.

How will the handling improve with more miles?

Tyres will wear in a bit and suspension should settle.

Oh one niggle i can think of although this may be universal to all facelift VRS II is that the Floor mats no longer have the twist lock mechanism that holds them down to the carpet. I cant think for the life of me why they have been omitted as these are a brill feature on my other VRS. stops them getting edge curl and being bent over and shoved out of place by the kids.

I don't think the value of the Blackline is in question, it certainly is (was?) the best value vRS for a long time.

I'd also agree that with the new price being so close to nearly new used vRS's then paying a fraction more made sense (and this is coming from someone who will probably never buy brand new again!).

However there will always be those who want to tailor the spec of their car to their exact requirements, and for these people the Blackline isn't the best choice.

For those who are happy with the spec of this special edition then take the saving and enjoy!